From bears to owls and skulls to Groot, carver Nate Howard’s pieces run the gamut.
Nate Howard has always enjoyed creating art, but it wasn’t until he worked as an apprentice to a chainsaw carver nearly 15 years ago, that he fell in love.
“It’s kind of like a therapy for me. It’s calming and I don’t have to be concentrating the entire time,” Howard said. “When I’m not carving, I feel a little lost. I need to create stuff so when I pick up a saw, it makes me feel good.”
He’s been chainsaw carving professionally for seven years and will return to the Greene County Fair from Aug. 7-10 to show off his craft. He’s working on his craft and creating a variety of pieces all of which will be auctioned off at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 10.
He’s quite familiar with pieces traditionally associated with wood carving – bears, foxes and the like – but also is no stranger to unconventional works.
“I’ve made Godzilla, an Ewok Star Wars bench and an Alien vs. Predator piece,” Howard said.
He doesn’t have a favorite piece, and instead finds the completion of the project satisfying.
“Each piece is new. I like to keep it changing, and I’m never stuck on one thing,” Howard said.
Surrounding Howard’s fair booth or work area, stands will be available for visitors to stop and watch for a while.
They often ask him what type of wood he works with, how long he’s been doing it and what kind of equipment is used for his art.
“There’s no one particular wood, but in this area, I usually stick with northern white pine,” Howard said. “There’s a lot of techniques that come with chainsaw carving. It’s very precise. You start with the big chainsaw, cutting off large blocks and then move down to smaller saws and even grinders and a variety of Dremel tools.”
Some visitors request custom pieces and Howard welcomes them, though it can take several months for completion.
The Punxsutawney native travels often, participating in chainsaw carving competitions across the country and doing demonstrations at Knott’s Berry Farm in California.
Most recently, Howard participated in the Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous in Ridgeway, Pa., and just prior to the Greene County Fair, he’ll be competing at the U.S. Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship in Chippewa Valley, Wis.
“It’s fun to compete with other carvers. There’s a lot of camaraderie and you can learn from each other,” Howard said.
He hopes to open his own shop one day but until then, customers can purchase items he regularly posts on his Facebook page.
“I’ll do this until my body gives out. Maybe when I’m older, I might fall back to drawing and other creative work but for now, I’m just getting started,” Howard said.
Visit the Green County Fair this summer to see Howard live or “like” his Facebook page at Nate Saw Art.
